CAMPAIGN FOR TOTAL PROHIBITION

1910-37 Nadar Mahajana Sangam appointed about nine numbers of community service oriented touring agents to propogate the concept of supporting total prohibition, turning away from toddy & arrack trade, effort to involve community members in agriculture, trade and form community supported schools in several villages.

The traditional Sanskritisation (upward mobility of a community in social ladder) route consists Nadars claiming royal Kshathiriya sovereignity or as a warrior tribe, ritual of initiation into the status of a clean jati, wearing of the twice born thread, total or partial vegetarianism, teetotalism (abstaining from alcoholism completely, mostly voluntary personal teetotalism based on community’s social principles.), changing the family job or traditional work that is considered demeaning to perform trading or professionalism. The process was gradual and needed dedication of several members of the community . The critical test of success lied in the personal willingness to abstain from liquor , determination and hard work to improve economically to change one’s social status.

Before 1921 census Nadars, their caste welfare associations presented evidence to the authorities that many of their caste fellows had left the polluting work of palm liquor production, developed clean habits by personal renunciation of liquor intake and become merchants.

1927 Mahatma Gandhiji who was advocating prohibition was surprised to note about clean habits developed and practiced Nadar community wherein the members of the community volunteerily gave up liquor habits either by disassociating from liquor connections or personal teetotalism. In a public meeting at Virudhunagar, Mahatma Gandhiji wondered why nadar community with clean habits is kept away from temple premises.

1937: Prohibition Act was introduced in madars Presidency putting an end to liquor habits of the people then.

1948, Total Prohibition act was enacted prohibiting the toddy tapping and toddy trading, by which time a vast majority of the Nadar community had no connection with the business of Toddy and arrack and absolutely free from liquor habits